Motorola TracFone C139 Cell Phone

Motorola Tracfones are an okay starter phone or for people who don't want to use a cell very often. You can get the phone itself for very cheap, the lowest being around $10 and going up in price for added features. There are versions that flip open and closed ($15), that have cameras ($30), etc. Then you can add minutes, the lowest amount being a ~$20 card for 60 minutes and 90 days of service. You don't have to worry about a monthly payment or a contract, though there is an option to get a plan and get minutes added automatically each month.

However, if you decide on a Tracfone, don't expect much more than a semi-reliable way to occassionally communicate. You won't get reception in very remote areas (for example, I took it to the Adirondacks and got absolutely nothing) - but that isn't unique to this phone, so I wouldn't knock off points for that. What I would fault the Tracfone for is (seemingly) randomly not allowing you to make calls at all. The first time this happened, I was pretty frustrated and concerned. I dialed in a number and when I hit "send", I got a message telling me to check call restrictions. I tried repeatedly and got the same thing each time. Obviously I couldn't call for support (though I did try). I didn't understand it, because I wasn't anywhere remote - in my home, actually, where I'd called from many times before - and I was calling a local place which I'd called before. I checked online and found that the phone just does this for no good reason. The solution was to clear out some messages saved in the Inbox and Outbox. I don't believe it was a problem with space, because I have more messages saved now than I did then, and it's working alright. It seems that the act of clearing messages made the phone function properly again. I haven't had any serious problems with it, but it has occurred several times and this isn't something that a phone should do.

The annoyances don't end there. The thing that aggravates me the most is that, when my Tracfone's time drops below ten minutes, it makes a loud beeping sound, completely silencing the person speaking on the other line for a second or two. The person on the other end apparently can hear the sound, and it disrupts the conversation. The sound is irritating and I have to have the person repeat what they said. It makes me want to hurl the phone at the wall before storming off towards the Motorola headquarters. I mean, yes, it's important to know if your minutes are low, but ten minutes is still plenty, and I think a small beep in the background would have been quite enough for the people who didn't notice the minute counter that's right on the main screen.

The other problems are more minor, but they add to the list of why this phone is garbage. I hope you don't expect any fancy features like selecting a hilarious ringtone or a non-generic background, because you will be disappointed. There is a long list of built-in ringtones, but they're simple, low quality, and forgettable. I get the feeling that anyone who hears your phone will be able to guess that you have a Tracfone. There are literally five backgrounds to choose from on my phone, and while they're not bad-looking, I would not pick flowers or bamboo if I had a wider selection. Those five are the only options you will ever have because you can't get ringtones and themes from the internet onto your phone.

The few extras that the phone does have are pretty basic. The package comes with an easy-to-use charger, as it should. The battery life generally wasn't a problem for me, but it does wear down quite fast if you make a call. Otherwise, it will last five days or so without charging. The Tracfone has a calculator (which is a pain to use), a serviceable alarm clock, a calendar and a stopwatch. The phone will keep track of the calls and texts that you have received and sent, which often comes in handy. It also comes with three games. One plays like foosball, one is battle between your spaceship and a series of enemy ships (all of you moving and shooting rather slowly as you fly on and on through space), and one has two teams of moles take turns moving and shooting, trying to bring each others' lives down to zero. As you'd expect, they're not a lot of fun, and the graphics and controls are pretty basic. I don't think I would play them even if I was waiting around with nothing else in my hands but my Tracfone.

For all the problems and sub-par features, you'd wonder if it's worth it, even at the low cost. And it may end up not being that low. Just using the Tracfone a few times a week - a phone call or two, an exchange of a few texts - can really add up. Texters really get hurt because you're charged for every text sent and every text received, and when you get a text you can't tell who it's from or what it might be about. You could get a text from Tracfone itself, telling you to buy a double minutes card (yes, they actually have the nerve to do this to you), and you'll waste your money reading it. There goes a third of a minute, and you might be paying a dollar for every three minutes. It's cheaper per minute if you buy a more pricey card; a 60 minute card is $20 compared to a 120 minute card for $30 and a 200 minute card for $40. Even so, it goes fast, and if you don't get pretty conservative with your minutes, your Tracfone could cost you as much as another cell with a monthly plan or a contract.

All the crud you have to deal with when using the phone doesn't change the fact that it's a phone for ten dollars and you don't need a contract. The worth depends on what kind of phone user you are and how much patience you have.